re: Pre 6.2 Raiding (In Progress)

Hello there, been a while - with the influx of new people and new patch next Wed I thought I would jot down a few thoughts about boss order and what we intend to kill so people can have a look at videos.

"Boss" number 1 is the encounter Hellfire Assault. This is in the room we enter the raid in.

After we complete the encounter we deal with the Iron Reaver

We then move into the Hellfire Antechamber and have our first choice. From a progression point of a view I think it will be easier to deal with High Council next which is the first of the next "wing" from an LFR point of view

as the Antechamber leads to Kormrok as well we move back and finish off the first wing and kill him and get some tier hats. From here on the loot gets a 5 ilevel boost

We are back to a linear set up to continue the second wing with Kilrogg Deadeye.

Once he is dead we move on to the final boss of the wing with Gorefiend and pick up some tier legs

After him we are presented with another set of choices to deal with the bosses in the third wing. There are five bosses of which only one is gated behind another so we have four options. due to the lower ilevel rewards and lack of tier gear I think Shadow Lord Iskar should be attempted first.

After him is Socrethar the Eternal who drops tier gloves. Once he is dead we can then reach the "final" boss of that wing or the other two bosses that are left. Another 5 ilevel boost is added to all loot from here.

I am not really sure what will be hardest but Fel Lord Zakuun is available from the start of the wing and has no tier loot (I also believe he is more of a gear check patchwerk kind of fight)

Possibly Xhul'horac is next as he has tier shoulders

We then finish of the wing with Tyrant Velhari

With only two bosses left we are back to linear for the end of the raid with Mannaroth who drops the final set piece with the tier chests.

We get a final 5 ilevel boost with all the gear that drops from the final boss - Archimonde. This conveniently brings us to the ilevel of the next difficulty.

As mentioned the first two bosses are set in stone so no problem there and we start of with.... Hellfire Assault....unfortunately there is a metric crap ton of trash to deal with first

We also have to deal with two siege engines which come into the main fight later on - I will discuss the other vehicles that spawn in the main fight as well

Siege Engines

Flamebelcher - Launch a scattered volley of flames that deal damage in a 3 yard range. In the main encounter these are fired at the Cannons

Demolisher - place a large targeting reticule, a load of mortars are fired out in a teardrop, several seconds later the targeting circle will explode dealing damage to anyone within 100 yards. (The further you are from the centre the less damage you take)

Crusher - Deals 150k every 1/2 second to anyone in front of it (Don't stand in front ¬¬). It also casts Burn which deals 225k every 1/2 second for 4 seconds on either side of the vehicle. If it reaches the Cannon it will destroy it very quickly

Artillery - Fires large damaging attacks at the cannons which explode and deal damage to anyone within 40 yards.

There are also two Mini-bosses to kill :D

Grand Corruptor U'rogg and Grute

Grute is a Hulking Beserker and needs to be dealt with in the same way

U'rogg is a Gorebound Corruptor with Corruption Nova - Green spots on the ground, move out of them

Priorities

Below is the suggested order to deal with this trash

Mini-boss (if they are in the pack)

Hulking Berserkers (Tank swap 3 stacks)

Gorebound Cauterizers (Heal)

Gorebound Felcasters (Terrors spawn at 40% - top priority)

When all trash is dead move well back and Siegemaster Mar'tak spawns with a load of adds - this is the beginning of the encounter

Hellfire Assault (Heroic) - [iLevel 705 loot]

The main objective in this "encounter" is to break down the Reinforced Hellfire Door. This is achieved by destroying the siege weapons. When they are destroyed they drop Felfire Munitions (last on ground for 90 seconds). We need to "pick" these up and run to the two Hellfire Cannons that flank the gate that we entered the raid from. The munition is automatically thrown into the cannons when you move near. 24 shots or 6 boxes are needed to complete the encounter!

However first we need to deal with....

Siegemaster Mar'tak ("Phase 1")

50% health she leaves the encounter

Shockwave - Faces a random player and summons a cone of earthen spikes

Howling Axe - Places debuff on three players - after debuff runs out the axe will be thrown to each player then back to Mar'tak (think Iron Maidens). When hit you take damage and splash it 8 yards. Spread 8 yards away from each other and the raid. Doesn't diminish on range (Unlike maidens)

Mar'tak spawns with some adds and most notably one of them is a Felcaster. Essentially we just Lust and Nuke down Mar'tak - ideally before any siege vehicles spawn. This basically means you can split the fight into two phases where the first Phase is dealing with Mar'tak and then the second phase is completing the actual encounter. We have about 39 seconds to bring her down to 50% health which is convenient. Below is the order and times for the vehicles (rather peculiarly the order is different from Heroic and Normal - This is the Heroic order)

0:39 - Flamebelcher

1:42 - Crusher

2:38 - Artillery

3:40 - Demolisher

4:38 - Flamebelcher

5:41 - Artillery (Fight can now be completed)

6:39 - Demolisher

7:19 - Flamebelcher

The priority order for dealing with "phase 2" is very similar to dealing with the trash before the encounter begins

Siege vehicle (especially the Crusher)

Berserker (Tank swap)

Engineers (Heal vehicles)

Felcaster (Terrors at 40% - Nuke down)

Any other add

Basically you Blow up the siege engines when they spawn and in the gaps between you deal with the adds. Keeping control over the health of the Felcasters is important. We only want one at a time to transform into Terrors so we will bring them below 40% on demand.

This seems like it isn't going to be too much trouble

Tanks

Vehicles can't be Tanked

Move the Beserker away from Mar'tak

Everything should be tanked on top of the vehicles except the Felcasters (especially if they are nearing 40% health)

Orange Swirly circles are where adds spawn. The impact deals damage when they spawn but be ready to pick them up

DPS

The quicker the Siege vehicles die the more time can be spent on add control

Be aware of Multi DoTing and cleaving down the Felcasters too much. If we get a terror up (or two) while a demolisher is doing raid damage it will probably be a wipe

Stay spread and avoid the burn from the side of the crusher (especially melee)

Interrupt the Felcasters

Healers

Tank damage is very high when the Beserkers are up especially once the tank has Slam stacks

Pre shield priority on Howling Axe targets

Dispel the stun

Raid damage is often spiky and unpredictable

Iron Reaver (Heroic) - [iLevel 705 loot]

As a reward for killing all that trash (boss included) there is no trash before Iron Reaver which is nice :)! Iron Reaver is a single target fight with two phases. This slightly augmented version of the Fel Reaver is piloted by Mar'tak after she ran away at 50% health.

Phase 1 (0-100 energy - 2 minutes 15 seconds aprox)

phase one has the Reaver grounded dealing various abilities in a very specific order:

Barrage

Pounding

Barrage

Barrage

Blitz

Pounding

Barrage

Pounding

Blitz

Barrage

She will face in a random direction and begin a "wind up" before casting Barrage

This is a cone of damage fired from her left foot not the torso

Deals about 280k damage and must be avoided

Do not try to "out range" but run to the side to avoid it

Leaves patches of fire that apply a debuff (that stacks)

Pounding

Deals damage every 1/2 second for 6 seconds - AoE to the raid

healing CDs

Move near the boss when this is about to be cast as it causes the patches of fire from Barrage to be "pushed" outwards and this will help you to not be stood in the fire and to avoid the DoT

Blitz

She chooses a direction then a couple of seconds charges away from the tanks.

if you are caught in this attack you take a load of damage, get a DoT and also get picked up and dropped when she stops charging

After she has stopped she will turn back around and charge back to the tanks

Melee are best not to chase after the boss just wait until it returns as you will possibly get caught in either the first or second part of the blitz

Iron Reaver will also cast Unstable Orbs at ranged players. These deal damage and apply a DoT. The damage splashes on anyone within 8 yards so everyone must stay spread. the force of this attack will push any nearby fire patches away from you. This means other raiders need to keep an eye on "moving" fire patches

the Tank swap is simple. She will target the current tank with a debuff - Artillery. 13 seconds later she will fire a rocket at that tank that explodes for 450k based on a 40 yard range.

Tank gets Artillery

Tank swap

Artillery tank runs away and waits for explosion (fire damage)

first tank runs back and becomes Off tank

This debuff can overlap but there is plenty of time just make sure wait for the other tank to return so the boss doesn't move.

Phase 2 (1 minute exactly)

Iron Reaver becomes immune and begins to fly (DoTs applied before the phase begins will still tick away doing damage). In phase 2 she has three abilities. The first of which is Artillery (from phase 1)

Artillery

Targets three players

Works exactly the same way as for the tanks in Phase 1

13 seconds to move 40 yards away from the raid group (ideally to the corners of the room)

deals 55% less damage in P2 (about 200k)

Fuel Streak/Flash Fire

Casts a line of fuel patches which she then ignites into fire

there are gaps in between the patches of fire so you can still move around the room

Fuel patches give you a 40% movement speed reduction if you touch them

Firebomb

Each cast creates 5 Volatile Firebombs around the room

Explode after 25 seconds and debuffs the raid to take 50% more damage from the next one that explodes

These bombs need to be killed and have relatively low health

After the phase ends a large brown circle will appear on the ground which is where the Iron Reaver will land. This deals 70k to the raid however if you are stood in it you take 1.8 Million damage - best to move away from it.

The fight then begins again - Beserk is at 10 minutes so we will lust at the start of the fight.

Tanks P1

Tanked in the centre of the room

Will mark where the tanks need to run to

Tank swap on Artillery. The first set of Artillery in each ground phase will overlap. Second Tank don't run out until the other tank returns - plenty of time especially with a leap

make sure you use a CD for the 450k artillery (fire damage)

Tanks P2

Dodge the damage and aid in destroying the firebombs

DPS P1

Remember this is the only phase you can attack Iron Reaver so concentrate damage here

Constantly keep an eye on the Bosses positioning, this will help you deal with Blitz (direction she is facing in) and Barrage (direction of her left foot)

Ranged must be spread 8 yards to mitigate the damage of the Unstable Orb.

If you have to pass through the fire patches try and use a personal CD

DPS P2

Spread out and nuke down the 5 volatile firebombs

If targeted by Artillery move well away towards the outside of the room and pop a personal CD (200k)

Healers P1

Be aware tanks will run out of range constantly - when they get artillery apply shields and CDs before they move away - remember it lasts for 13 seconds before the explosion.

Pounding is predictable AoE healing apart from that the damage is somewhat spiky with damage from the orbs

Three pounds per phase 1 - we can Tranq, Revival and use personal healing CDs on the third.

Healers P2

Often little healing to be done so can help damage the firebombs

be ready to run out for artillery just like the DPS

After Iron Reaver collapses we are presented with a choice we can finish off the wing with Kormrok which is the end of the first wing or move on to the first of the next wing which is the Hellfire High Council. If we take the model of BRF and the knowledge that Kormrok drops tier where as council doesn't, I would suggest we move to do Council first and then back to Kormrok. Either way we have to clear through the Hellfire Antechamber which has a host of trash to deal with.

High Council (Trash)

Hellfire Guardian

Fel Strike on Tanks

Leap on players - then move back with a 50% damage buff

Fel Hellweaver

Channel Hellweaving - Cannot be interrupted. Can be stunned.

Healers dispel off players

Summon large green orb - Run away

Fel Touched Seer

Cast Fel Cauterize. Needs to be dispelled of mobs

Shambling Hulk

Fel Slam every 20 secs. - creates a line of green energy to avoid in a frontal cone

Spread out 6 yards for the splash damage from the green orbs above head (30 seconds to move)

Graggara Smash - places a green arrow on a player with a circle round them. Everyone stacks in circle to share the high damage

Spread back out for Green orbs

Hellfire High Council (Heroic) - [iLevel 705 loot]

So this is a council fight. The mobs do NOT have a shared health pool which is fortunate due to their empowered abilities (Final Hour) when they each hit 30% health. It is important to kill mobs in a set order due to their lasting abilities.

The kill order we will use will be:

Gurtogg Bloodboil

Blademaster Jubei'thos

Dia Darkwhisper

Gurtogg Bloodboil

100%-30%

Gurtogg casts Bloodboil which deals 70k aprox to the 5 targets furthest away. These targets don't need to be swapped however if you are low on health you can easily move closer to the boss to not be chosen

Acidic wounds stack on the tank every 2 seconds - nature damage. stacks to 60 and lasts for 30 secs

Casts Fel Rage on a target for 30 seconds every minute. He fixates on that target (they have a defensive buff and a damage buff). We use this ability to reset the tank's stacks of Acidic wound. The player targeted must kite the boss away from the tank so that in the time for Gurtogg to run back the tanks stack will have reset. Make sure you don't kite the boss near Dia Darkwhisper

30%

Every 15 seconds he applies Tainted Blood which reduces every raid members max health by 10% per stack. We Bloodlust this point and he needs to die before the fourth stack - Ideally the third.

Stacks last after his death

Blademaster Jubei'thos

100%-30%

Casts Felstorm every 30 seconds. Looks like the boss is whirlwinding however it is just an animation (it is unavoidable raid damage).

Felblade - A large green arrow is placed on the ground (from the bosses Feet) and soon after he will throw his blade. high damage and knockback

30%

Wicked Strike. Summons an image of himself behind 50% of the players in the raid. This occurs every 8 seconds and increases in damage each time it is used

Continues to occur after his death

Dia Darkwhisper

100%-30%

Mark of the Necromancer - Cast every 70 seconds. debuffs players with an increasing magic damage effect DoT (think Wrack) - Healers must heal that player until it is unhealable then dispel. When dispelled it jumps to two new targets. Much like the shields in Malkorok - the graphic for the DoT changes colour with the severity of the damage. It starts of as a purple icon then moves to yellow then red where it doesn't change any further. This is very useful in Dia's Final Hour phase

Reap - Removes all active mark of the Necromancers and creates purple circles under the feet of the raid members who had the debuff. During the long cast time of reap - affected players must run out to the edge of the room and wait to drop their mark. Do not dispel while reap is active as this will cause extra puddles

Void Haze. Any boss within 25 yards of Dia takes no damage so must be tanked apart from the other two.

Every 35 seconds she transforms into a Nightmare Visage and spams the tank. Use big CDs and healer's focus. Cannot kite this damage

30%

Upon hitting 30% she will immediately Reap and then no longer cast Reap for the remainder of the fight

She will also cast Mark of the Necromancer on half of the raid. Very quickly this will mean the entire raid is covered with the mark. Mass Dispels and Revivals are of great use here.

Ultimate Abilities

At 1.15 and every 1.15 afterwards each boss casts an ultimate ability.

Dia - Wailing Horrors. Large shadowy ghosts charge through the room. Stacking off centre seems the easiest way to avoid these.

Blademaster - Windwalk. vanishes and summons a load of mirror images. He returns after 45 seconds or when all images are dead. Any damage done to the images is taken off the boss when he returns

Gurtogg - Jumps to an area marked with a large swirlie. Damage taken based on distance - Think Blackhand Demolitions.

The order of this:

1.15 - Dia

2.30 - Blademaster

3.45 - Gurtogg

5.00 - Dia

and so on until Gurtog dies. He is then removed form the rotation (due to his death) and the rotation continues with the current living council members.